Cartouche of Seti I

Tanis, Egypt

Seti I was the offspring and successor of Ramesses I. His name in the cartouche reads from right to left: "Seti-mer-en-Ptah", or "Seti beloved of Ptah." The first character of Seti's name is formed using the hieroglyph of the god Set. Because Set murdered his brother Osiris, the Set hieroglyph was considered evil and tended to be erased wherever it was found. It is rare to see it undisturbed, as here.